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Eleanor & Park

At first, Eleanor doesn’t bother trying to get to know anyone at her new school—not even the Asian kid she sits next to every day on the bus.

At first, all Park can think about is getting his driver’s license so he won’t be associated with the new girl, who is strange with her wild red curls and the ties she wears around her neck.

Then, Park starts to notice that she is secretly reading his comic books.

Then, Eleanor is surprised when a stack of comic books is waiting for her the next time she gets on the bus.

Finally, Park asks Eleanor about the song lyrics on her book covers. She replies that they are songs she wants to listen to. That night he makes her several mixed tapes—and brings her more comic books.

What starts off as a tentative friendship based on shared reading and music tastes gradually becomes something more than either has experienced much less expected. They know all the stories say first-loves don’t last. But they’re stubborn enough to keep trying. Because neither of them can handle the idea of thinking about the After of their relationship.

Eleanor and Park is Rainbow Rowell’s first book for young adults. It breathes fresh air into teenage romance and shatters your expectations of stereotypical characters. Rainbow Rowell proves that it is possible to write very, very good literature for young adults that does not involve magic or take place in a not too distant dystopian future. Her next book Fangirl comes out September 10, but you can put a hold on it today!